In Jing Hang’s urban development plan for Sunagakure, he had clearly proposed the "Three Centers" theory: the Moon Lake New Area as the agricultural and industrial hub, Sunagakure Proper as the political center, and the Yuexi Peninsula as the economic center.
However, this did not mean that Sunagakure Proper was left undeveloped. In these years of peace, the urbanization of Sunagakure Proper had progressed rapidly. Through the engineering project of expanding underground river channels, the village’s long-standing water shortage problem was resolved. With water, the residential areas could be expanded. In just six years, the size of Sunagakure doubled, nearly matching the size of Konohagakure. The village’s greening efforts also bore fruit, transforming it from a place prone to sandstorms into a much more habitable environment. Though it still bore the title of "village," it had essentially become a small city.
And like any city, it came with its share of shadows.
Sunagakure’s 12th District, Bar Street
In the basement of a bar named Autumn Breeze Drunkenness, a secret meeting was underway.
The space was small, about forty to fifty square meters, with simple furnishings: a large round table and a dozen chairs. The attendees all wore white masks and white robes, their appearance eerie and mysterious under the dim lighting.
"It seems the plan must be accelerated. Yi Ji, someone like Eizo should’ve been recruited into the organization long ago. His reckless actions may appear to have achieved significant results, but they’ve thrown the situation into chaos," said the person seated at the head of the table, evidently the leader.
"Sir, I did consider recruiting Eizo, but he worked in the Intelligence Division. After the anti-corruption campaign, he became disheartened and aimless. I thought he was a lost cause. Who could’ve predicted he’d pull off such a bold move?"
The one addressed as Yi Ji spoke with a hint of regret, her voice suggesting she was an older woman.
"Young people are like volcanoes—either they die in silence, or they erupt in fury. He may have vented his frustrations, but his actions have left us in a precarious position," the leader said, shaking his head.
"Still, his feat did remove the biggest obstacle to our operation. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?" someone seated further down the table suggested.
"A good thing? Ha! You’re thinking too shallowly. Our goal is to reform this village, to restore it to its original healthy order—not simply to eliminate one individual. Sure, Jing Hang has fallen, but what about Rasa? Yamashita Tetsu? Ryohei? Baki? As long as his loyalists remain, Jing Hang’s policies will continue, and Sunagakure will remain mired in this false prosperity, unable to change. Do you understand?"
The leader’s voice grew sharp.
"Then it’s simple—just eliminate them all. At least they’re not as formidable as Jing Hang," another person suggested.
"Ridiculous! Do you realize the village is now on high alert after the assassination attempt on Jing Hang? The Intelligence Division, the Security Division, and the standing army have all been mobilized, maintaining round-the-clock vigilance. If we go head-to-head with them, it’ll be like eggs smashing against a mountain!"
The leader slammed the table in frustration.
"Besides, Rasa is no ordinary opponent. His mastery of the Gold Dust Technique, passed down from Jing Hang, makes him a formidable adversary."
"Then why accelerate the plan?" someone else asked.
"Do you think Yamashita Tetsu, that loyal hound of Jing Hang, is just sitting idle? With his instincts, it won’t be long before he picks up on our scent. If we wait, our righteous cause will be crushed by the Intelligence Division before it even begins."
"It doesn’t matter. Our preliminary preparations are nearly complete. We’ll simply shift the assassination target to Rasa. As long as external Enjoy reading on NovelHub - your free online novel platform. Absolute, has Iwagakure confirmed their commitment?"
The leader turned to the masked man at the far end of the table, who was idly playing with his fingers.
"Oh, it’s confirmed. Just let me know your timeline," the man replied lazily.
"Good. Then it’s settled. Next month, on the fifteenth. Operation codename—Storm!"
Amegakure, Ame Tower, Akatsuki Headquarters
The Akatsuki’s decision-making body consisted of only about a dozen members, all of whom were gathered in the conference room of the Ame Tower. The atmosphere was tense, and as the leader, Yahiko, wore a troubled expression.
This week had brought two pieces of good news and one piece of bad news.
The good news was that under the "leadership" of Nezokawa Ji, the deputy general manager of the Flying Rain Corporation, 15,000 workers had successfully transitioned into miners. Thanks to the ample manpower, the basic construction of the Sada and Sumu iron mines had been completed in just one week. Production was expected to begin next month.
Additionally, 5,000 workers had transitioned into road construction laborers. The logistics road network spanning Amegakure had officially begun construction, with a planned completion timeline of two years.
The bad news, however, was that the massive expenses for mining and road construction had nearly drained the Akatsuki’s funds. Without additional capital injection, the consequences would be dire.
And there were only four days left to respond to Iwagakure’s proposal.
"Uncle Mujima, what’s your take on this?" Yahiko asked.
Mujima frowned deeply, his expression as rigid as a tile in a mahjong set.
"Leader, we’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Iwagakure has set a trap for us."
All eyes turned to Mujima.
He sighed. "Think about it. Now that we know their plan, if we refuse, Iwagakure will come after us to silence us. If we go along with it and the rebellion fails, Sunagakure will retaliate against us. With our current strength, we can’t afford to provoke either side."
"Then why not sell the intel to Sunagakure? Let them fight it out!" Nagato suggested.
"I’ve considered that, but it won’t work. Iwagakure could easily deny involvement, and the rebels in Sunagakure would go into hiding. Not only would we gain nothing, but we’d also make an enemy of Iwagakure. Meanwhile, our village’s predicament would remain unresolved," Mujima analyzed calmly.
"Urgent news! Urgent news!"
At that moment, Daibutsu, who oversaw intelligence in Amegakure, burst into the room.
"What is it?" Yahiko asked.
"The Third Kazekage, Jing Hang, has been assassinated! He was injected with a chakra-weakening agent, rendering him unable to use ninjutsu. Sunagakure is now in a state of emergency!"
The room erupted in shock.
"It seems the rebellion will happen sooner than expected. Yahiko, you must decide quickly," Mujima urged.
"Send a message to Kitsuchi. We’ll take the job," Yahiko declared firmly.
The room fell silent. Even Nagato, who prided himself on being a pacifist, did not object.
The assassination of Jing Hang not only left Sunagakure leaderless but also eliminated its strongest combatant. The likelihood of a successful attack on Sunagakure had skyrocketed. It was clear the rebellion was imminent—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I’ll go," Mujima said, standing up. "If we’re going to do this, we need to negotiate better terms. After all, this is a large-scale operation involving thousands of lives. We need more money."
"How much more?" Yahiko asked.
"In addition to purchasing our iron ore, the interest-free loan must double!"
"Ten billion ryo? Will Iwagakure agree?" Yahiko asked skeptically.
"Don’t worry, Leader. They’ll agree. They’re more desperate than we are." Mujima smirked.
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